Friday 21 March 2014 05.49 EDT
First published on Friday 21 March 2014 05.49 EDT

Glenn Hoddle has hinted that he was offered the Tottenham Hotspur job when André Villas-Boas was sacked in December, before the club chose to appoint Tim Sherwood.

Hoddle, who has been out of club management since being sacked by Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2006, made little secret of his desire to return to Tottenham at the time of Villas-Boas's dismissal. He is regarded as a legend at White Hart Lane because of his playing career there and had an unsuccessful spell as Tottenham's manager between 2001 and 2003, but would have relished a second stab at the job. In the end, however, Tottenham turned to Sherwood, who is unlikely to appreciate these latest comments.

"Tottenham has been my club since I was eight years of age so anything I can do to help," Hoddle told BBC London. "I nearly went there this time round till the end of the season. I said I was prepared to do that. I wouldn't have been prepared to do it for any other club apart from Tottenham because it's in my DNA.

"Although I've had great times at other clubs, there's just something in there about Tottenham and myself that goes back since I was eight years of age. So if that was the case and it nearly became the case, I would have been happy to but they made their decision and they've moved on."

Tottenham have had a disappointing season. They were knocked out of the Europa League by Benfica on Thursday, losing their last-16 tie 5-3 on aggregate, and are off the pace in the race to qualify for the Champions League.

Hoddle believes that there has not been enough consistency. Tottenham invested £110m in seven signings last summer, none of whom had played in England before, but they have struggled to adapt to the Premier League.

"There hasn't been enough continuity and consistency there on and off the pitch," Hoddle said. "The signings that were made at the start of the season for nearly 100 million haven't really produced. I've got to say that. Maybe they might produce next year once they've settled in and had another year in the Premier League but I think things need to settle.

"If you're going to do anything you need a steady boat rather than a boat that keeps being rocked. The amount of money that's been spent there, I'd imagine that the fans and the club itself, you know, directors, would be looking and wanting a bit more consistency but they've got to show consistency off the pitch to get it on it."